St.C. Chamber ready for new event

• Pre-Concert VIP Event set for Tuesday

August 19, 2012

ST. CLAIRSVILLE - The St. Clairsville Area Chamber of Commerce is set to unveil its new summer event Tuesday as the Pre-Concert VIP Event is set to take place form 5:30-8 p.m. at the amphitheater directly behind the J.B. Martin Recreation Center.

The event takes place prior to a free concert offered at the amphitheater as the Journey tribute band Arrival takes the stage from 7-9 p.m.

The Pre-Concert VIP event takes the place of the annual luau the chamber used to put on each summer. Executive Director Jennifer Woolery said she originally went to Recreation Director Kevin Barr about some possibilities for utilizing the amphitheater for an event and the right set of circumstances just seemed to appear.

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T-L?Photo/MIKE?HUGHESTHE?ST. CLAIRSVILLE Area Chamber of Commerce and its members are ready for the unveiling of the Pre-Concert VIP?Event set for Tuesday at the amphitheater. The gathering takes place prior to a concert from Journey tribute band Arrival.

"We actually approached Kevin and the rec department back in the spring about staging an event and it just so happened that he was just preparing to sign Arrival up for the concert for that night," Woolery said. "We thought it would be a great paring.

"People love Journey ... we like journey. It just seemed like the right fit for our clientel and we've gotten a lot of great responses about it."

The cost to enter the Pre-Concert VIP event is $25 per person and entrants must be at least 21 years of age. Seating is limited to 150 people and reservations are required.

The eventy includes food and drinks and there will be a cash bar. The cost of admission includes two drink tickets and one door prize tickets.

Woolery explained plenty of door prizes have been donated, including gift baskets and gift certificates to the various chamber businesses.

A plus for the recreation department is that 50 percent of the proceeds will be donated back for future amphitheater events.

While this is the first year for the event, Woolery stated it could become an annual feature for the chamber, depending on the response. And thus far, response has been excellent.

"Based on the response we're getting, this is something we'd like to do against next year and on down the road," Woolery said. "We always had the summer luau and were looking for something different. It's been very well received.

"If everything goes off as well as we expect it to, it's something we'll look forward to putting on again in the future."